Pipe-lifter.



C. KERR;

PIPE LIFTER.

APPLIGATIOK rum) APB-.12, 1911.

attorney 3nnentor 60f/66 fit? 72/:

Patented June 27, 1911.

9. D a 2 Jun. \\l v, a i, m I w W CHARLES KERN, 0F TELL, WISCONSIN. v

PIPE-LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Application filed April 12, 1911'. Serial No. 620,730.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it. known that I, CHARLES Knox, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tell, in the county of Bullalo and State of Visconsin, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Pipcliitters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invent ion re ates to improvements in pipe litters; and the objectof the some is to provide a lifting clamp which will receive pipes ofdilicrcnt diameters and can be quickly adjusted manuaily, and which isespecially adapted to be grasped in the hands of the worlunen when thepi pc is to be lifted, as in raising pipes from a well.

While there have been large numbers 0 pipe holders for securely holdingpipes which were being lowered into a well or raised therefrom, theseprior pipe holds-rs have usually been cmistructed -and adapted forattachmentto a platform at the, mouth of the Well and are ordinarilybolted thereto. They have been principally used to regulate the descentof pipes into a well and to securely hold a pipe while sections werebeing added or remowzd. I am thoroughly familiar with the constructionand use of these safety or holding clamps, which though perforun ingcertain of the functions of my invention are in many importantparticulars quite distinct.

- Qthcr advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art fromthe following description in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my pipe lifter, shorting themanner of grasping a pipe: Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,partly in section; Fig. 3 is :1 top plan view of the lifter: Fig. 4. isav cross-section on the line tt of Fig. 2, looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the slidingjaw; and (i is a top perspective elevation of that portion of the framewhich accommodates the sliding jaw. I

The frame 1 may be rectangular, and is provided with a central. aperture3, extending through the side Wall upon one side, by means of which thelifter may be placed about a pipe. The frame upon either side of thecentral aperture is channeled or recessed longitudinally. In the recessor channel upon one side is a (log 4, piv otcd at 5, havinga V-shapednotch at its inner end,

undercut to provide a sharp biting edge to engage the pipe, and at itsouter end a thumb or striking piece (3, by means of which the dog maybe, quickly disengaged from the pipe. The opposite channel is providedwith undercut side grooves 8', and lateral, oppositely disposed recesses01' notches 8 located at a suitable distance from the aperture 3,

and extending entirely through the ledges provided by the aforesaidundercut channel. The movable jaw 10 is provided with a pair of tonguesor flanges 9, projecting from the lowersirle edges and extending fromthe forward end to approximately the central longitudinal portion, andat the rear end with a pair of oppositely extending ears or lugs 10,projecting in alinement with said flanges. Nlien it is desired toassemble the parts, the jaw 10 is first placed over the channel in such;a position that the flanges {i will extend over the aperture 3 and theears or lug's 10will register with the recesses S. It may then helowered into operative position and he slid longitudinally in theehanuel,-tho flanges 9 and lugs '10 being guided in the grooves S. F orthe purpose of adjusting said sliding jaw quickly and without the.necessity for a. wrench or other 'tool, I provide a threaded stem 11,which engages an innit-null screw-threaded bore 13 of the movable jaw,said stem" alsohuving a squared portion 1i which passes through asquared opening in'aknurled thuinb-picce 1 .3 fitting within the recess1'7. By rotating the thumb-piece in o'ne'direction orthc other. the jaw10 is moved forward or backward,

the opposite walls of the recess Serving as.

thrustlieariugs.

The base of therhfter frame 13 integral with the sides and forms asolid, firm support under the dog 4' and sliding j'uw 10, us

indicatcd at 2. The inner end of the jaw -10 is also supported upon oneside'a's it projects into the central opening by the ledge 2 of thebase. twill thus be seen that I have provide-l an exceedingly strong andrigid its channel until the frame can be placedaround the pipe, afterwhich the jaw 10 is mov d into engagement with the pipeby means of thethumb piece 16. The handles 18 may now be grasped b either side and thepipe li ted bodily." If it is desired to release the pipe or to perni'ititto slide downwardly, theouter enal 6 of the pivoted dog is depressed;while if it is desired to remove the lifter from the pipe, the

' ing the handles upon either side, thus dispensing with the usuallifting tackle required to be used in conjunction with the -platformholder.

' The frameis exceedingly compact and strong, the recess 3 being ma'deas narrow as ossible, while the. sliding jaw is made considerably longerin order to secure: a verywide bearing surface. In .order to accomplishthis result, Ihave made special provision for assembling the long jawwithin the frame. The lugs 10, located at the rear end of the slidingjaw coiiperate with the flanges 9 to furnish a very wide bearingsupport, while the narrow recess 3 prevents an undue weakening of theframe at the center.

-For the purpose of illustration, I have describedin detail oneembodiment of my invention, but it- .is evident to those skilledin theart that. changes can be made in the details of'construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and I mean to cover any suchchanges in the claims as might readily occur to the skilled mechanic.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A 1. Aportable pipe lifter comprising a supporting frame provided with acentral aperture extending laterally from one sideand channels in thetop of the frame extending longitudinally upon either side of saidaperture, a dog pivotally mounted within one of said channels, the otherof said chan- -nels being provided with undercutside porionsf-formmglongitudinal guide ledges, a clamping jaw adapted to slidelongitudinally "within the last-named channel and. having flangesprojecting oppositely from the forward portion thereof and a pair ofcars orlugs projecting from the rear end,

said guide ledges having a ;pair of oppoa man upon;

sitely disposed recesses to register with said lugs when said flangesrcgister with said central aperture, whereby said movable jaw maybeplaced within its channel. and means formoving and holding said jaw inany desired position in the channel.

2. A pipe, lifter comprising a "frame ha ving a central apertureextending laterally from one side and channels in the top of the frameextending longitudinally upon each side of the aperture, adog pivotallymounted in one of the channels, the other of said channels beingprovided with longitudinal guide-ledges, a clamping jaw slidably mountedwithin the last-named channel, a

flange upon each side of the forward )or-" tion of said jaw, a lug uponeach side 0' the rear portion thereof spaced apart from. said flanges,the aforesaid guide ledges having oppositely disposed" notches at adistance from the central aperture in the frame equal to the length ofthe gap between the luL-x and tongues, the said lugs and gaps upon thejawbeing adapted for registration with the cotiperating parts of theframe whereby the jaw may be placed within or removed from-itsrespectivechanneled portion when said parts-are in registry, and meansfor moving said parts out of registry for purposes of operation. j

3. A pipe lifter comprising a .frame 112wing a central apertureextending laterally fromv one side and channels in the top of the frameextending longitudinally upv-u each side of the aperture, a dogpivotally mounted in one of said channels and nor- 'mally supported uponthe frame. guide ledges overhanging the other channel, a clamping-jawslidably mounted within the last-named channel having oppositely extending flanges guided by said ledges, a supporting ledge spanning saidaperture and adapted to support the forward end of said clamping-jaw, arecess in the frame at the rear of one channel. and a rotary tlnunh--iece mounted within said recess and ha:- mg' a bolt extending therefromand in threaded engagementivith' said clamping jaw, the opposite wallsof said recess servin as thrustbearings for said tlnunl'Y-piecc. ntestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing nitnesses. CHARLES KERN. -Witnesses I S. I. learn,

M. Swot-m.

